By Dr. Kevin Williams , The Chief Medical Officer for Rare Disease at Pfizer

The “Ask Dr. Kevin” series is brought to you by Pfizer Rare Disease in collaboration with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to increase awareness and understanding of ATTR-CM, or transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, and the risk to African Americans.

As the “Ask Dr. Kevin” series enters its fourth year, I want to turn my focus to a rare, but very serious form of heart disease known as ATTR-CM.

ATTR-CM is a life-threatening, underdiagnosed disease associated with heart failure, but many people have never heard of it or don’t know what it is.

Many people with ATTR-CM present with symptoms similar to those of more common causes of heart failure ─ such as fatigue, shortness of breath and swelling in the lower legs ─ or have symptoms that are not commonly perceived to be linked to a heart condition, like carpal tunnel syndrome (numbness, tingling, or pain in the fingers), bicep tendon rupture, gastrointestinal issues (constipation, diarrhea and nausea) and lumbar spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the open spaces in the lower spine).

If you’d like to learn more about hereditary ATTR-CM, including signs and symptoms, visit Kevin Williams is the Chief Medical Officer for Rare Disease at Pfizer.